


Spring and Sky

by Robin_Knight



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, M/M, Mpreg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-09
Updated: 2017-04-01
Packaged: 2018-10-01 17:08:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10194605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Robin_Knight/pseuds/Robin_Knight
Summary: The heat was unexpected.Riku and Sora hadn't expected it to come so soon; while they struggled to cope with the unexpected consequences, Axel struggled to win the heart of Roxas, and - with growing pressures upon both couples - only time would tell whether they would remain together or break apart.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [samunin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/samunin/gifts).



# Chapter One

Riku caught the scent.

It was heavy and sweet, like rich vanilla with a hint of honey, and his mouth watered in anticipation. The flowers did little to cover the aroma. They made it all the sweeter, so that it made his stomach roll and his attention wane, and – as he tried to slow his breaths – his heart began to race. It was chilled inside the office, as windows were thrown open and the air conditioner ran on max, yet it did nothing to alleviate the scent that pervaded the air.

Riku gripped his pen with such strength that the plastic began to crack, while his eyes narrowed until the muscles grew sore, and – as his eyes dilated and skin flushed – he tried to focus on his coursework within the office of the flower shop. The wooden desk was littered with spreadsheets and paperwork, which offered little room for his research and textbooks, but the high-speed laptop used for business was a great asset for a struggling student that was short on time. The row of photo-frames also provided a small comfort.

He smiled on sight of their hometown.

The most prominent photograph was of three friends; Sora draped his arms over Kairi and Riku’s shoulders, as the Okinawa landscape revealed a crystal-clear ocean, and the cloudless skies above made the sun shine all the stronger. Riku reached out to touch the glass. The cold material warmed under his fingertips, as he gave a smile and softened his eyes, and soon – as he drew in a deep and slow breath – he pulled his hand away. He felt a stab of arousal, as the scent increased his dizziness and made studying impossible.

“Sora?” Riku called out. “Are you back?”

“Yeah, just came inside! Why?”

Riku stood up and rolled his shoulders. The silver locks of hair fell about his face, hiding his eyes, until he pushed them back and headed onto the shop floor. It was difficult to see at first; there were rows upon rows of various flowers, until they finally stretched out onto pre-made bouquets and various types of plants. The cacti were prominently displayed in the shop window, alongside some bonsai trees and some potted plants, and the little bell above the door – just to the left and next to the counter – still tinkled with movement.

Kairi sat behind the counter, balanced on an old stool. Axel leaned against the small slither of all between door and window, with arms folded across his chest, and in the corner of the room – tucked between door and counter – Sora sat perched on the edge of several storage boxes. Those blue eyes locked upon Riku’s face, before they widened with a smile that revealed a row of white teeth, and he waved across the room to his fiancé.

“Aren’t you supposed to be in class?” Riku asked.

He came around to lean against the counter. Kairi glanced to him, before looking down at the book before her, and – as he glanced upon various figures and red lines – the young woman closed the book with a quick movement. There was a blush upon her cheeks, followed by the familiar hiss of the leather-bound book being slid across the smooth countertop. The hum from Sora caught Riku’s attention; he looked over to his fiancé with a raised eyebrow, as the younger man scratched at his bare knee with a gloved hand. Sora shrugged.

“Pre-heat,” said Sora. “I was excused for the week.”

“Huh, well, aren’t _you_ lucky?” Axel asked with a wave of his hand. “You know, back in the States, we only allow omega students that take heat suppressants. It’s much easier on our alpha students: none of the temptation, none of the risk. Plus, you wouldn’t have to miss a whole week of studies. I don’t know how they let you get away with it here.”

“Huh, let me guess who made _those_ rules,” mused Kairi in a dry tone. “I imagine it was an alpha, right? If you knew the risks that came with prolonged use of suppressants, you wouldn’t be advocating any omega use them just to attend college.”

“Oh, _please_! They wouldn’t prescribe them over-the-counter, if there were dangerous. Anyway, you wouldn’t be singing that tune had you _my_ job. I swear that I have more paperwork about omega attendance than anything else . . . if it’s not attendance then it’s omega rights, omega harassment, omega allowances, omega scholarships, omega this, omega that . . . if you ask me, Sora has it pretty damned easy compared to the rest of us.”

“Yeah, but no one asked you,” Riku said in a cold voice.

There was a sharp look from Axel. Those red eyebrows raised a considerable amount, as plump lips parted and his head raised itself high, and then – as his expression turned into one of a frown – he soon gave a smirk and a scoff. He folded his arms once more, no longer content to gesticulate with wild movements, and gazed off to his right at the various refrigerators on the far wall. The pre-heat scent was strong, enough that the flush to Axel’s cheeks betrayed the effect it had upon him. Riku let out a low hiss of breath and muttered:

“For a guy in human resources, you sure lack people skills.”

Axel rolled his eyes, as he raised a gloved finger in acknowledgement. The long black coat rustled with the movement; the fabric swayed about his body and stopped somewhere about his ankles, and the all-black outfit complemented his red hair and green eyes well. It was easy to see the stereotypical alpha within his build: tall frame, large muscles, and a confidence that seeped through every pore enough to make Riku clench his fists.

There was no time for confrontation. The shop door opened with a tinkle of the bell, revealing an all too familiar face: Saix. Riku instinctively tensed, unused to seeing one of his law professors outside of classes, but the older man – with crossed scars across his face, long hair parted centre to reveal a stoic expression – made no sign of seeing Riku. Those orange-coloured contact lenses gave him an eerie stare, which was locked upon Kairi with an unwavering intensity. The glass of the door rattle, as it slammed behind him.

“I have been receiving flowers from your shop,” said Saix.

Kairi furrowed her brow, as she smoothed down her pink dress. Those eyes never left her face, while Saix remained frozen within the doorway with lips pressed into a tight line, and – as the silence continued on – Saix soon flared his nostrils. He turned to Sora. Riku breathed deep until his chest puffed out; he made quick strides over to his partner, where he stood beside him with hands clenched by his hips, until Saix looked him over and looked away with a curl of his lip and a short hiss of breath. Sora was a claimed omega.

The only noise was the thrum of life outside. The London street was filled with pedestrians, all of them seemingly in competition with various vehicles, and nearby a music store played a demonstration loud enough to drown out the sounds of various vendors. Saix clutched the handle of his briefcase within his hand, while they all waited for someone to speak. There was a silent pursing of Kairi’s lips, before she replied quietly:

“Roxas is in charge of orders and deliveries.”

“I will speak with him,” commanded Saix. “I have been receiving a red rose every day for the past month, with a note that says ‘forever yours’. This has ceased to be of any amusement. I wish to know who has been sending these roses, as well as for them to stop.”

“Oh, yeah,” added Axel with a pensive expression. “You’ve been getting those bouquets, too, right? Well, I got to say; they’ve been brightening up the staff room, at least. You have _no_ idea how boring human resources can be, especially at a university filled with such stick-in-the-muds, but this has kind of lightened the mood. Can you leave a request with Kairi for daisies next time? We’ve got a pool going on. I’ll win if you get daisies.”

“This is not funny, Axel. This is a serious matter. I wish to know whether I ought to be concerned, especially should this prove to be a stalker or worse, and all I know is that it is this shop’s delivery boy that constantly hands them to me. I have no desire to claim any omega, especially one so brash as to impose themselves upon me in such a manner.”

“I don’t know.” Axel smirked and cocked his head to the side. “I’d love a feisty omega chasing after me, especially one so bold as to flaunt the rules, but – hey – each to their own, am I right? Look, Roxas is out on a delivery. Why not just leave a message?”

“I suppose that would be acceptable.”

Saix marched over to the counter. He dropped his briefcase upon the surface, which sounded with a loud clatter of interior objects, before he removed a small notepad and pen from the pocket of his jacket. A note was soon scribbled; Riku could make out the excellent penmanship even from his distance, as well as the natural flourish that came from an intimacy with the fountain pen that most people lacked, and soon the page was ripped away from the pad with a harsh pull. Saix held the paper before him.

“Give this to your boy,” ordered Saix.

The paper remained held in the air. Kairi looked at it with an impassive expression, until she took it with a forced smile that came natural to those in customer service. Saix nodded in acknowledgement; he quickly retrieved his briefcase and headed outside, where the bell tinkled once more with the swing of the door, and – as Riku looked past Axel to the window beyond – he watched as his professor headed along the street. He continued to watch until Saix was out of sight, before his muscles relaxed and his shoulders slumped.

“Who did order the flowers?” Riku asked.

“That’d be me,” teased Axel.

There was a soft laugh from Axel. He pulled out a receipt from the inside pocket of his jacket, which he waved with a wide smirk. Riku drew a deep breath; the scent of Axel was both spicy and bitter, something unpleasant to any other alpha, and it served as a reminder of his nature. It was extremely rare for two alphas to become a couple. Riku placed a hand on Sora’s shoulder, where the warmth of his body seeped through his clothes, and it became clear that the full heat was on its way. Axel broke the silence with another laugh.

“I thought it’d be funny.” Axel shrugged. “You should see him at work! He’s been trying to analyse the handwriting on the cards against his students’ work, and he’s been watching them like hawks during their free time, but he hasn’t worked out it’s yours truly. I’m thinking of upping the game and sending stuffed bears with ‘I’m always with you’ next.”

“You’re just doing this to wind him up?” Riku rolled his eyes. “That’s real mature. You know he’s been setting double the coursework since those roses started showing up. I’m going to have to take time off for my rut; the last thing I need is more work.”

“Hey, you’re the one that chose to mate with an omega!”

“So it’s my fault that I’ll go into a rut?”

Axel leaned forward with a hand upon his hip; the other hand waved absently in the air, while he locked sights with Riku with narrowed eyes, and – as Riku’s hand tightened upon his fiancé’s shoulder – Axel took a step forward with a loud hum of amusement. Kairi looked between them. The beta woman at first failed to notice the tension in the room, but soon did a double take that jostled her brown hair and caused her to drop her accounting books. A second later, she ran between them and gently guided Axel back to his usual spot.

“Okay, you two need to calm down,” she said in a firm voice.

“I’m sorry, Kairi,” muttered Riku. “It’s the pre-heat; you have no idea how much I can smell it, how I can _feel_ my rut getting closer and closer. It doesn’t help when some people keep provoking other alphas in the area. It makes it worse.”

“It’s a territorial, thing.” Axel gave a shrug and added: “I haven’t met an alpha yet that hasn’t felt a stab of jealousy where his omega is concerned. I’ve seen the way you even look at Kairi, like she’s going to come between you just for being Sora’s friend . . . it’s cute. The thing is though, pal? I’m not a threat. I’ve got my eye on a certain someone, so I don’t exactly want your sloppy seconds. Sora’s adorable and all, but he ain’t my type.”

“No, you just like people who look vertically identical to him, huh?” Riku gave a hiss of breath and thought briefly to Roxas. “You know he’s a beta, don’t you? He can’t bear you any kids. You can’t claim him. It seems like a bad match for a guy that still views omegas as possessions, so I can’t wait to see how this one turns out.”

“Hey, don’t make me into the bad guy here!” Axel clenched and unclenched his friends. “ _I_ view omegas as possessions? Last time I checked, Sora wouldn’t even be allowed to _go_ to college or work back in your home country, so why don’t you –”

“Okay, that’s enough,” Kairi called. “Both of you!”

Riku flinched. He saw the flush to her cheeks, as she held her hands before her body. It was almost like a gesture of surrender, with fingers apart and palms displayed, but the way she shook her hands – up and down with angry movements – spoke of a desire to mediate the argument before it devolved into violence. Sora sighed; he jumped up onto his feet, as he stretched in a melodramatic manner, and each movement exuded more of his scent. The scar on his neck marked him as Riku’s partner, so bold and red and still fresh.

The spark of arousal returned, made worse by the rush of adrenaline. Riku angled his body away from his friends, so as to hide an increasing tent in his trousers, and looked to Sora with a blush. Sora looked back with a cheeky grin that was typical to him, before he winked and nodded to the door. Riku gave a small cry; he tried to hold back his embarrassment, but a look to the others revealed two all-knowing grins. Kairi said in a patient voice:

“Why don’t you guys study upstairs?”

Riku nodded and looked to Sora. The younger man bore a bright grin, as he rocked back and forth on the heels of his feet. Riku smiled at the sight; the years had been kind to Sora, so that even after all these years – even after emigrating across the continents to study – he still seemed every bit as innocent as the child on their home island. He nudged Sora in his side, causing the younger man to laugh and gently push him back, and asked:

“You fancy going up to study?”

“Sure!” Sora clasped his hands behind his head. “It’s not as though I can focus on anything much down here, anyway. It’s like – It’s like looking at the world through a fog, you know? I don’t think I’ll be any good with the pre-heat like this. Maybe I can help you with your studies? I’m like the best when it comes to revision!”

“You’re going to help me with Law?” Riku teased. “That’ll be the day.”

“Hey! I’m not _that_ bad at Law stuff.”

Riku laughed, as Sora gave him a gentle push once more. There was a groan from Axel, who rolled his eyes, and – as Sora and Riku headed toward the door – Axel pushed himself away from the wall and made his way to stand before the window. Riku wondered what he saw through the window; the clean glass merely reflected back his image upon him, while his expression was so dark and introspective, and he seemed to forget that Kairi was still among them. Riku looked away and said to his friend:

“We’ll catch you later, Kairi?”

There was a warm smile from Kairi. The aroma from Sora grew stronger, as Riku draped an arm around his lover and pulled him close, and Riku wondered whether they would make it to the apartment upstairs in time to ‘study’ in private. Kairi simply shook her head and folded her arms, as she gave them a playful smirk and winked in their direction.

“Sure,” she said. “See you around.”


	2. Chapter 2

# Chapter Two

“We’re closed.”

Roxas glared at Axel. Those blue eyes were partially hidden, lost underneath half-lidded eyes and a sideways glance, and yet the passion in them was visible. Roxas clutched a pile of accounting books to his chest; they looked thick and heavy, bound in black leather that was more expensive than they could afford, and his knuckles were white from where they clutched upon the pages. Axel realised he had arrived at a bad time.

The lights in the shop were off, save for one dimmed above the counter. It cast strange shadows onto pale skin, making that dark blonde hair look almost brown, and – were it not for the disgusted expression – Roxas could have easily passed as his brother. Axel glanced over his body. The beige-and-brown outfit was the total antithesis to Sora, while the chequered wristband stood as a testament to his unique style, and Axel smiled to see that some things remained the same. The black ring on his left index finger was still there.

“Yeah, well,” muttered Axel. “Your laces are untied.”

Roxas looked at black-and-grey shoes. The red straps held them in place, the Velcro a blessing to someone with such a physical nature, but – as he looked back up to see the smirk that Axel wore – his expression soured. He dropped the books down onto the counter, before he walked past the redheaded man and opened wide the door. There was a blast of cold air; the weather was particularly bitter, enough so that a mist of rainwater came inside and coated Axel where he stood. The chill left his breath visible upon the air.

“Very funny,” said Roxas.

“So what?” Axel asked. “You’re showing me the door.”

The wind began to howl; there were very few pedestrians upon the pavement, with the rare few fighting against the forces of nature, and a stray umbrella – turned inside out – danced past them on the stream of the breeze. Roxas rolled his eyes, before he turned up the collar to his black t-shirt and headed outside. He came to stand midway along the window, looking up in a strange manner, and soon Axel realised that he was trying to reach the shutters.

It would have been amusing to watch, at least were it anyone else. Roxas jumped to try and catch a hold of the shutters, with a determination and sense of pride that was completely unlike his brother, and – unable to watch the younger man jump around in the rain – Axel leaned forward with a long sigh. He slowly made his way to Roxas. It took barely any effort to reach up and pull down the shutter, which Roxas locked into place with an almost enviable speed, and soon he was at the main door to help pull the shutter midway down.

“You could have just asked, you know,” said Axel.

“Funny, I thought I did.”

“Look, I don’t know what I did to piss you off, but you could at least _tell_ me what’s got your panties in such a bunch.” Axel followed Roxas, as he ducked underneath the shutter. “It’s not as though I’m a mind-reader; anyone would think you don’t want to see me.”

Roxas waited until Axel was back inside, before he slammed shut the door. The glass rattled in its frame, while the shop was cast in virtual darkness, and Axel strained his eyes to see his friend in all the shadow. Roxas darted into the office. There was no time to follow, as a few minutes later he was back upon the shop floor and locking the door behind him, before returning to the counter and moving the books. He moved with great speed, not once looking at his surroundings or guest, and there was barely any sign of recognition.

“Seriously,” continued Axel, “you could at least –”

A hand slammed onto the counter. Axel looked at it with a raised brow, until it was pulled away to leave a copy of a receipt upon the surface. He walked over to the counter in a few long steps; he reached out with a gloved finger to slide the paper closer to him, and – as he read the contents with curious eye – he smirked. The scoff escaped his lips before he could hold it back, while he shook his head at the receipt. Axel slid it back and asked:

“Oh, so this is your problem?”

Roxas flushed red and snatched back the paper; it was returned to the appropriate book, which were then locked in the safe below the counter. There was no scent from the beta man, even as he moved around his various tasks, and it was refreshing for Axel to know what he felt was not the product of various hormones. He rolled back his shoulders and cricked his neck, as Roxas folded his arms and turned to the side with a pout. The way his eyes softened betrayed a deeper emotion, so did the way he gnawed at his lip.

“You’re trying to date Saix,” whispered Roxas.

“What? No. No!” Axel waved a hand in the air. “That’s just a prank. Saix and I are just childhood friends, but – honestly – we kind of grew apart in recent years . . . I – I guess I kind of just wanted to get his attention. Plus I knew he’d blame Larxene, which means she’s had too much hassle to have any _time_ to flirt with me. It’s a win-win. Well . . . I thought it was.”

“Okay, so why couldn’t you just tell me that?” Roxas hid his hands within his pockets. “You never talk about your past. I sometimes feel like I place all my trust in you, but you can’t even do the same with me in turn. It makes me just want to . . . run away.”

“Hey, I made you a promise, Roxas, and I got it memorised.”

Axel came around the counter; he gave a gentle nudge to Roxas’ chin, which brought a small smile to those lips and crinkled the corner of his eyes. It was good to see Roxas mildly happy; too often did he wear an impassive expression or an outright scowl, especially when he wandered alone or wrote within his journal, but now he looked to Axel with something that bordered on fondness. Axel leaned against the wall, effectively boxing his friend in behind the counter. He said in a loud and firm voice:

“No matter how far you run, I’ll always be there to bring you back.”

There was a low sigh from Roxas, as he gently pushed past Axel. The smile never left his lips, as he tidied about the shop and completed the last few chores, and – just as Axel began to lose hope – he came back over to throw a set of keys in his direction. Axel caught them with a lazy movement; he looked over to his friend with a furrowed brow, until he saw Roxas with hands on his hips and head cocked toward the door. Roxas asked in a playful tone:

“You still want that date?”

“You ever need to ask?” Axel replied. “I sure do!”

“Okay, well, you bring the sea-salt ice-cream and I’ll bring the movies.” Roxas nodded to the ceiling with pursed lips. “It’ll be difficult to get those three out of the apartment, so we can make it at your place. May as well make the date while we can, right?”

“Yeah, totally, I just -! Hey, wait . . . what’s that mean?”

“Looks like we have to relocate, Axel.”

Axel slumped his shoulders and ran a hand through his hair. The spikes were likely disturbed by the movement, even gel and spray not enough to fight away a fist, but he moved the hand quickly to his face to cover his mouth. He fell back against the wall. There was no sound from Roxas, who walked over to the door and waited for Axel to follow, and – as Axel moved with heavy muscles and slow movements – the keys in his other hand jingled. The cold weather penetrated through to inside the shop, as he asked in a mumbled voice:

“You guys are still not making rent?”

Roxas sighed and opened the door. The burst of wind from underneath the shutter provided an intense rush of cold, as a few stray leaves and a burst of dust soon followed, and Roxas ducked underneath with a muttered complaint. Axel followed; he locked the door behind him, before locking the shutter afterward. The two men ran toward the covered stairwell on the side of the building, which led to the apartment upstairs.

“We found a place further north,” whispered Roxas.

“How far north? Too far to visit?”

“It’s – It’s a few hours away, yeah.” Roxas paused by the apartment door. “Look, Kairi and I are barely making ends meet here, and the whole reason we’re here is because of work. If our business fails, we’ll end up losing our visas and we’ll have to go home. That means Sora and Riku will have to go home, too. Sora’s only here as he’s technically my responsibility.”

“And Riku’s only here because he’s Sora’s mate?” Axel cursed under his breath. “Look, I’m not letting you go, Roxas! You don’t know what life was _like_ before you guys showed up. I didn’t feel anything . . . it was like life was meaningless, so I took pleasure where I could . . . I was pretty hurtful, because being cruel was the only way to _feel_ something. You -? You gave me back my heart. You made into somebody from a nobody. You!”

“You don’t think I don’t feel the same way? You’ve always made me feel like my own person, instead of being dependent upon Sora for survival. You know, I was always compared to him growing up . . . it was this big honour to get an omega in the family . . .”

“Okay, so stay here . . . with me. We can make our own family.”

“How? If we stay in this shop, we’ll end up in debt.”

Axel looked to the door of the flat. It was painted a bright red, with a decorative knocked emblazoned on its surface, and it spoke greatly of Sora and Kairi’s passionate personalities and somewhat strong tastes. There was music playing inside; the classical tune carried out into the hallway, while there was also a rhythmic banging noise from some further room, and the blush on Roxas’ cheeks spoke of an acknowledgement. He was embarrassed.

The keys jingled in Axel’s pocket, before he realised their presence. He removed them and tossed them to his friend. Roxas caught them with both hands, before he unlocked the door with a sigh and let them inside, and – as they entered – Axel raised a hand to his head to massage the encroaching ache away from his temples. The television and radio were both on to exceptional volumes, while every single light was turned on with a harsh power, and Kairi appeared to be playing more music in her room, while Riku and Sora . . . well . . .

“Sheesh, is it always like this?”

“Pretty much,” admitted Roxas. “Kairi took up the violin. I think it helps with the stress of trying to make ends meet. Sora is in full-blown heat; it’s triggered Riku’s rut, so they’re been going at it like rabbits in mating season. I haven’t slept in days.”

“Well, least you’ve only got a day or so left, right?” Axel threw himself down onto the leather sofa, draping his arms over its back. “Look, why not come crash the night at my place? It’d kill three birds with one stone; I get my date, you get a night’s sleep, and we can work out what to do about rent. I got this pal . . . Xaldin . . . he could help out.”

Roxas quirked an eyebrow in response. He spent a few minutes turning off the various devices and turning down the lights, but the sudden quiet only emphasised the noise that came from the master bedroom, so that Roxas was forced to turn the music back on to a loud level to drown out uncomfortable cries and strange demands. The younger man took a seat beside Axel, where they sat without a word beside one another, and – as Axel waited for him to speak – there was a long sigh from Roxas, who looked aimlessly about the room.

“Help out how?” Roxas asked with a frown. “If he could find us a place with cheaper rent, I guess that would be ideal. I don’t really want Riku or Sora to have to transfer to a whole new university, or have insanely long commutes, and we can’t afford for them to rent a flat here just to study. Do you think he’d be able to help? Really?”

“He owns a whole bunch of properties.” Axel sidled closer with a smile. “If he hasn’t got something for the right price, he’ll know exactly where to go for a place right for you. All I’ll ask in exchange for this wondrous connection is just one date.”

“You were going to get a date, anyway,” laughed Roxas.

“Yeah, but tonight? Come on! Please?”

Axel nudged him in his side; Roxas smiled, even despite his worries, and shook his head with an expression of exasperation. The radio played an old song, but one not quite loud enough to drown out a scream from the bedroom. Roxas visibly flinched. The sound from the resident omega was enough to force Roxas to his feet, where he grabbed a coat from a nearby armchair and slung it over his shoulder. He asked in a cool voice:

“You won’t try anything funny?”

“Cross my heart.”

Those plump lips pursed in consideration, before Roxas headed over to the door, and – as Axel follow – he unfolded his fingers from his side. The smirk on his lips revealed more than he intended, so that he was forced to feign an indifferent expression as Roxas turned around, but soon enough they were outside the apartment and on their way. Axel felt his heart race for the entire journey, as he licked at his lips and watched Roxas closely from behind. The younger man seemed oblivious to being watched, until he spat out:

“You can stop staring at my ass, Axel.”

Axel blushed and gave a pout.

“Spoilsport,” he muttered.


	3. Chapter 3

# Chapter Three

Riku breathed deep the aroma.

It hung heavy in the air, made worse by the closed windows. The rich and sweet scent could easily trigger heats in susceptible omegas, should any be in pre-heat in the vicinity, and they would need for the scent to settle before risking an airflow. It mixed in with the smell of sex. Riku could practically taste the sweat and bodily fluids, while the heat across his body was brutal, and the cool waters of a shower seemed appealing in his state.

The sheets weighed heavily across his lower body; they were no longer cool, no longer fresh, and the black material was stained white in places. It was otherwise comfortable. Riku enjoyed just lying back upon the mattress, with plump pillows propping his head in place, and Sora was curled against his side with head upon his chest and their legs entwined. There was a sense of greater intimacy in the afterglow than during the sex. Sora smiled absently with closed eyes and mussed hair, looking like a dishevelled angel.

Riku smiled and reached out to stroke those brown locks. Sora stirred a little against him, with a still wet member placed limply against his leg, and – as Riku swallowed hard – he struggled to hold back a small swell of arousal. Those blue eyes soon opened, as Sora raised a hand to lazily rub the sleep from the corners. Riku took that hand in his, once his lover had finished, and held it above his heart. He rubbed light circles upon the skin.

“Evening,” chirped Riku.

“Evening,” mumbled Sora with a yawn.

They watched each other for a long few minutes; it brought a smile to Riku’s lips, as he saw how contented and restful his lover looked, and there wasn’t a single muscle – despite various strenuous and difficult positions – that was anything less than relaxed. It was dark outside the windows, with a stream of light shining through the glass. Riku noticed the room for the first time since his rut began, finally coherent enough to see the mess for its entirety.

It was hard to miss the clothes strewn about the floor. A sock hung from a lamp, while a shirt caught upon the curtain-rail, and Sora’s books – dozens of set texts for his Literature degree – scattered across the opposite wall and littered various pieces of furniture and carpet. They hadn’t made it to the bed during the first day of the heat, instead Riku took his fiancé against their shared desk, and after that came scattered recollections over a three-day period. The last vague memory was Kairi shouting that Roxas was spending the night with Axel.

“So,” murmured Riku, “how’s the heat?”

“I think it might be over.” Sora nuzzled against his chest. “You stopped knotting inside me, right? That must mean your rut’s over, too! You know what . . . I could kill for some water and some pancakes right about now. Do you think you could – you know – maybe make me some? Please? Super please?” Sora gave a wide smile. “Super-duper please!”

Riku laughed despite himself and chirped: “Maybe later, alright? I kind of wanted to talk to you about something first, just while we’re still clearheaded. I mean . . . do I need to make you an appointment with a doctor? They’re closed today, but tomorrow . . .?”

“Huh? Why would you need to do that? I feel totally fine!”

“Yes, but . . . well . . . the condom broke, Sora.”

There was an uncomfortable silence. The music from Kairi’s room echoed through the brick walls, so that Riku found himself tapping a classical tune upon his lover’s hand, and – as he waited for Sora to gather his thoughts – he noticed that Sora was still oddly relaxed. It should have been obvious that his fiancé wouldn’t shun or fear the idea of a child, but it only made the tension through Riku’s muscles all the more obvious in comparison. Sora fidgeted where he lay, until he pulled himself up onto the pillow and looked Riku in the eyes.

“It only broke the once,” muttered Sora.

Riku heaved a long sigh, as he rolled onto his side. There were five tied condoms on the bedside-table, only one split from tip to rim, and he regretted using one that was past its expiration date, now realising why such dates existed on the contraception. He moved closer to his fiancé, so that noses touched and breath mingled, and – once again – he took Sora’s hand in his and held it clasped between their bodies. Riku gave a half-smile.

“Once is all it takes,” said Riku.

“Okay, so what happens if that one time – er – took?”

“Well, we’d have to consider our options.” Riku drew in a deep breath. “I’m more worried about our finances, to be honest. We’re both in university, Roxas and Kairi are struggling to make ends meet, and we’re not exactly working to earn a wage. If you were pregnant and you wanted to keep the baby, how would we even support them?”

“I guess I could drop out of university?” Sora pursed his lips and raised an eyebrow, as he gazed distractedly in the distance. “I mean no one’s ever willing to hire an ‘over-qualified’ omega, anyway, right? I could get an office job or something. That’d help!”

“Yeah, but no one’s going to hire a _pregnant_ omega, either. I don’t want to drop out, because what future will either of us have in the long run? I don’t know . . . I guess I could try to juggle a part-time job while I study, plus there are benefits for unmarried omega parents. I know you wanted to marry, too, but . . . maybe it’s better if we just stay mated, because at least then you’ll be able to claim _something_ for the child. That’d help a lot.”

“What if – What if I go self-employed or freelance? Work that way?”

“Doing what? You don’t have any qualifications.”

Sora sat upright. He folded his arms across his chest with a pout, while the sheets tangled about his legs in a way that did nothing to provide any modesty. The small and soft member hung between his legs, where it was still wet with come and pre-come, and the brown hairs above it were trimmed to perfection. Riku tried not to stare, but the bruises upon Sora’s hips – and the love-bites on his neck – did little to stave off an encroaching arousal. Riku was still distracted when Sora turned to face him with a bright smile and a quirked head.

“I could sell my art,” suggested Sora.

Riku sat up with a yawn; he turned his head to look at the painting behind them, attached above the bed and hanging with a sense of elegance, and the red-and-orange sunset did look beyond beautiful and like nothing Riku had seen from any other artist. He smiled. The memories of museum exhibits and art galleries came flooding back, as people murmured how omegas always created the most natural and authentic art. It was certainly an idea.

“I got to admit,” said Riku, “your art did sell pretty well.”

“Hey! It sold _really_ well.” Sora winked and smirked. “If you get a part-time job, and I sell my art full-time and see about those benefits, I think we’ll just about manage! Just promise me that we’ll name them ‘Haru’, if it’s a boy, okay? Oh, and can we visit Neku and Joshua? I want to share the good news in person, plus I promised to go visit anyway!”

“Sora, we can barely afford to live as it stands. There’s no way we can afford a trip to Shibuya without bankrupting ourselves.” Riku blinked rapidly and pursed his lips in thought. “Okay, can I point out you just _named_ the child? You gave them a name.”

“Yeah? They need a name, don’t they? Plus, I like Haru!”

“I guess that means you’ve decided to keep them.”

Sora beamed a bright smile, which revealed white teeth. He soon jumped out of bed, where – with a yelp of discomfort – he reached around to hold onto his behind with a flush, before carefully extracting various items of clothing from about the room. Riku stretched out his muscles, before he climbed out from his side of the bed, and threw on an old t-shirt and pair of shorts that sat folded on a nearby chair. Sora chirped warmly from across the room:

“You make it sound like there was another choice.”

Riku laughed and waited for Sora to come to him. The two embraced, as Riku rested his chin upon his lover’s head, and breathed deep the now settling scent. Sora wore only an old shirt of Riku’s, one both white and designed for formal occasions, and it looked incredibly erotic as it touched at his knees and hugged at his body. There was something reassuring in that Sora still enjoyed wearing Riku’s old clothes to bed, as it added to their intimacy.

They headed out into the main living area; the open-kitchen was located between the two bedrooms, while Roxas usually slept on the foldout couch or in a sleeping bag in Kairi’s room, and Sora – still filled with energy and still so happy – ran to the nearest stool by the kitchen counter. He wore an expectant grin. Riku shook his head with a yawn, as he headed into the kitchen and began to find the various ingredients for pancakes. The music from Kairi’s room grew low and soon came to a stop, indicating she was ready for sleep.

“Okay,” said Riku as he worked. “So should we get a pregnancy test?”

“Hmm, I guess that’d be a good idea?” Sora furrowed his brow and added: “If we tell Roxas, he’ll only want to be certain before we make any plans. We may as well find out for sure and then tell him after, right? It can be his birthday surprise! It’ll be great, Riku!”

“Isn’t his birthday in a few weeks? That’ll be one heck of a surprise.”

“You only turn twenty-one once, right?”

Riku gave a hum of acknowledgement. He found a mixing bowl and turned the frying pan on low, as he began to make a well-deserved evening snack. There were many bottles of water stashed within their bedroom, which were a necessity for any mated couple still capable of heats and ruts, but they had ran out late the previous night. A couple of bottles had appeared during the day, preventing an embarrassing rut-ridden venture into the kitchen, and he half-suspected that Kairi or Roxas had been their friendly ally on that score. Riku asked:

“Do you think Axel will be invited?”

“To the party? Sure! I mean, why wouldn’t he?” Sora furrowed his brow. “Oh, I get it . . . is this an alpha thing? I thought my scent should be coded to you, because you’re my mate . . . that’s what they taught us in biology, anyway. Axel shouldn’t be a threat, right?”

“It’s – It’s not that.” Riku poured the mixture in the frying pan. “Well, it’s partially that. There’s only really one alpha in a social group, Sora, because it’s commonsense that dominant and assertive personalities are going to grate on one another. It’s why in alpha-centric careers you tend to find betas paired with the alphas . . . an alpha police officer will have a beta partner, an alpha solicitor will have a beta assistant . . . Axel and I -?”

“You have Roxas and Kairi to mediate. Besides, I think Axel has a thing for Roxas . . . if he can convince Roxas to get over the whole beta thing, they’ll make a super cute couple! We’ll probably be seeing a whole lot more of Axel then. I know that Axel kind of started off on the wrong foot with us, but he’s always been super nice with Roxas, right?”

“That’s what I mean, Sora. What if he’s taking advantage?”

“Nope. You’ve lost me! Advantage how?”

Riku rolled his eyes, as he flipped the first pancake onto a plate. The pancake was far from perfect, but – despite its appearance – Sora’s eyes widened and he gave a small laugh. He practically snatched the plate from Riku, as he began to dig into the food with the ferocity of a starving man, and Riku simply shook his head with a smile at the sight. They hadn’t eaten properly for the three days during the heat, so the hunger stabbed at them both with a strong intensity. Riku made a large pile of pancakes for them, before he sat down.

“I think Axel really loves him,” said Sora in a soft voice.

Riku paused with fork midway to his lips. If there were times where he thought that Sora played upon his naivety, this was definitely not one of those times. The smile on his lips was genuine, while his half-lidded eyes spoke of a bone-deep exhaustion, and there wasn’t any strength or malice to lie or feign ignorance. Riku took another bite, as he watched Sora slow down in his eating and yawn with half-masticated food on show.

“Sorry, I guess I’m a little sleepy,” murmured Sora.

“Don’t worry about it,” said Riku. “How about I give you a massage before bed? It’ll help work out some of the strains from the past few days. I’ll ring Roxas while you sleep, make sure he’s okay, and tomorrow morning -? Breakfast-in-bed. My treat.”

“Do I tell you enough how much I love you, Riku?”

Riku laughed and said: “Not nearly enough.”

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

# Chapter Four

“Who was that?”

Axel nodded over to the phone. It sat on top of the patio table, made of wrought iron and fashioned into intricate patterns, and – as the screensaver flashed out of sight – Roxas traced patterns along the interwoven lines of iron with a light touch. Those blues eyes looked to Axel with a raised eyebrow; it was difficult to read his expression, even as Axel sat a glass of wine beside his hand with a smile, and took a seat opposite him.

Tall walls surrounded the garden, each one hidden by ivy or hanging plants. It gave a sense of intimacy and privacy. The sky above was dimmed only by the various streetlights, although the moon itself was still visible through the darkness, and – as the open conservatory behind them gave out some warmth – Axel handed his coat to Roxas. The younger man blinked a few times, as his eyebrows furrowed and his lips pursed, but soon his expression softened and he took the coat in his hands. It practically swamped him, as he draped it over his shoulders.

“It’s not that cold, Axel,” murmured Roxas.

“It’s cold enough.” Axel shrugged. “You came from a pretty hot island, right? I see the way Sora shivers even in summer; _you_ always try to hide it, but you still sit on your hands to keep them warm and you always order the hottest drinks. It’s . . . cute.”

Roxas chuckled, as he reached out for the wine. He took a few small sips; Axel watched as his Adam’s apple bobbed with movement, while those short fingers wrapped around the stem with a graceful hold, and Axel gave a short huff of amusement. It was difficult to hold back his smile. Axel rubbed at his upper lip in an attempt at disguise, although Roxas – as he placed the wine glass back down – looked back with the corner of his mouth pulled up into a half-smile and his eyebrows raised in silent expectation. Axel blushed.

“That was Xaldin,” said Roxas. “He called while you were getting the wine. He criticised you for giving wine to someone under the drinking age, before I explained the drinking age was lower over here. He’s a pretty serious guy, isn’t he? It’s a bit intimidating.”

“Guy’s a sadist. Not to mention that he doesn’t like you.”

“Gee, that’s nice of you to say.”

“Hey, just being honest.”

Axel shrugged with a smile. There was a sigh from Roxas, but the light in his eyes showed that he took the teasing in good humour. Those cheeks were flushed from the small touch of wine, while his hands would come up to clasp Axel’s black coat about his body, and – as he looked across the table – he would purse his lips and lick at him with subconscious movements. Axel downed his glass on the sight, before he poured another portion.

They sat quietly for a few minutes; the sounds of sirens echoed in the distance, while a few people walked noisily down one of the streets, and – as Axel cursed the busyness of London and its constant chaos – he heard a low exhale of breath from Roxas. The younger man tilted his head back, so that he could look up at the sky, and revealed a long column of neck, which just begged to be bitten and marked by an alpha. Axel crossed his legs and toyed with the stem of his glass, while Roxas closed his eyes and basked in the cool air. Axel asked:

“So did he give you the place?”

Roxas tilted his head back upright, as he blinked rapidly to focus his eyes. He quirked his head to the side with a bright smile, as eyes closed for a brief moment, and – as Axel looked to him – he smirked to see how much of Sora was in that same expression. The black coat slid slightly from his shoulder, revealing a patch of pale clothing, and Roxas shrugged in a way that made him look infinitely smaller beneath the material that swamped him. Roxas reached out for the glass and took a long sip, before he placed it down and bit his lip.

“We move in around two weeks time,” said Roxas.

“And he gave you a cut on the rent?”

“Nope.” Roxas beamed and leaned back. “It turns out he was asking for low rent, anyway. The place is a fixer-upper, so I get a cut for cleaning it up. He says it’s pretty weird, but _somehow_ anyone interested in renting would always back out last minute . . . he’s been lowering the rent steadily for months now, hoping to get someone to stay.”

“Huh, that is pretty weird,” said Axel with a smirk. “Hey, didn’t you guys start having rent problems around a few months back? You got to love these weird coincidences, huh? If you guys need any help in the move, just let me know! I have a van you can borrow.”

“Yeah, there’s nothing suspicious here, is there?”

“Nope, so just appreciate the lucky gift!”

Roxas laughed. It was something light and relatively high-pitched, so typical of Roxas and so childlike in its sound, and Axel – as he watched him – leaned closer across the table and let his hand rest near to the other glass. He twitched his fingers, as he strove to hold back the temptation to take Roxas’ hand. The movement did not go unnoticed. Roxas’ smile softened, as he turned to face Axel head on, and he dropped his hands onto his lap and looked down.

“Axel?” Roxas asked. “What do you want for this?”

“I’m not sure I’m following,” muttered Axel.

“I thought it was pretty clear?” Roxas sighed and sipped the wine. “I’m a _beta_ , Axel. I can’t give you children . . . society expects you to be with an omega . . . you’ve done me a massive favour, which I really appreciate, but did you want something more from all this?”

“You want me to be honest? Yeah, I want something more.” Axel smirked and shrugged his shoulders. “It doesn’t mean I _expect_ something more, though. You say ‘no’ and I’ll respect that and won’t make any advances; because I don’t want this to be about me, I want this to be about _us_. If you want to give me something in return, I’d be an absolute fool to turn you down. Still . . . you might think I want a one-night stand, but I’m in this for the long-term!”

Roxas smiled and pulled the coat about his body. There was a strange silence between them, as Axel listened to the slow breathing of his closest friend, and – as he looked away and his smile faltered – Roxas shrugged off the coat and stood upright. Axel saw the goosebumps upon his bare arms and lower legs, as well as the visible clouds of breaths from his lips, and he could only watch was Roxas came closer to him. He looked to Roxas, while he tried to stop his heart from racing in his anxious wait. Roxas licked his lips.

The seconds drifted into an eternity; Axel was acutely aware of the ticking clock within the conservatory, along with the soft music playing from the living room, and yet they did little to detract his attention from the attractive man before him. Axel parted his lips and gave a shuddered breath. Roxas leaned down and placed a semi-chaste kiss to his cheek, as his hand came up to stroke patterns along his collarbone. Axel whispered:

“I thought I said I didn’t expect anything.”

“That’s _why_ I’m doing this,” whispered Roxas. “I want this, too.”

A hand came around the back of his neck, as a thumb stroked along his jawbone. Roxas placed one or two more kisses upon his cheek, each one closer and closer to his mouth, until finally their lips came into contact. Axel gasped; he wrapped his arms around Roxas’ waist, until he pulled the other man down upon his lap, and – as Roxas knelt astride him – the kiss deepened and a low moan escaped his lips despite his attempts at self-control.

Roxas ground against him; there was a hint of tongue, before the kiss grew in earnest, and the taste of wine and earlier sushi rushed to the forefront of his senses. The intensity grew more than Axel intended. There were hands across his chest and shoulders, as fingers attempted to pull his black sweater over his head, and – as the fabric was eventually yanked from his body – Roxas groaned at the lack of content. Axel laughed, before he pulled Roxas flush against him and resumed with the kiss. This time those fingers toyed with his nipples.

Axel moaned. The arousal was reaching its limit, as he felt himself fully erect and beginning to ache without further stimulation, and he knew – even with the walls – the back garden was the worst place for their activities. He stood up with hands upon Roxas’ thighs to bear his weight, as he carried him into the conservatory. They barely managed to fall onto the wicker sofa, before Roxas tugged at his trouser zipper.

“Someone’s eager,” teased Axel.

They rolled over into a more comfortable position; Roxas sat astride him, as Axel struggled to sit upright against the soft cushions upon the wicker, and – as they resumed their kisses – his hands came down to grip upon two soft globes of flesh. The touch only added to his arousal, until he came across something wet and sweet smelling upon the material. He ran a finger over the wet spot. It was directly between the cleft, almost like when an omega would secrete slick in order to aid lubrication. Axel pulled back with a gasp of breath.

“Hey, Roxas, I need to call a time-out.”

“Why?” Roxas asked. “What’s wrong? Did I do something?”

“No. No!” Axel swallowed hard and kissed his forehead. “Okay, I need you to trust me. I’m going to do something, Roxas, but I _promise_ there won’t be any penetration and it’ll be just for a second! So don’t freak out and just let me . . . check.”

“You’re sounding pretty weird, but – ” Roxas sighed “– fine.”

Axel grinned and resumed the kiss. It provided a distraction, as his hand slid down the back of Roxas’ shorts, and – as the younger man gasped and began to fidget against the touch – he carefully parted the two cheeks and placed a finger against his hole. There was definitely slick coating the inside of both cheeks, as well as leaking from the hole itself, and it was so sweet that Axel felt his mouth begin to water. He rubbed around the winking hole.

He failed to expect the oncoming slap.

Axel swore when the tanned hand struck across his face; he was still clutching his cheek with a loud curse, when Roxas pushed himself away and climbed to his feet. The blond stumbled backward a few steps. He caught himself against the opposite sofa, where he fell back and pulled his knees up to his chest, which both hid his erection and made him seem all the more vulnerable. Axel gasped for breath, both too aroused and anxious to dare move. He struggled to face Roxas, as he held his gloved finger before his face.

He pulled off the fabric using his teeth. The taste was sweet like treacle or custard, reminding him of the local desserts that always seemed to be made of pure sugar, and – as he continued to pant, now bare-chested and barehanded – he looked across to see how Roxas paled. The younger man was open-mouthed, with eyes watery and wide, and he held his arms around his legs in an attempt to hug them into him. Roxas asked with a hissed voice:

“What the hell are you doing?”

“This?” Axel pointed his glove at Roxas. “This is slick!”

“Yeah? So what?” Roxas snapped.

Roxas turned his head to the side. He rested his cheek upon his knee, while his cheeks flushed red and a tear ran down his nose and onto his shorts. Axel sighed and stood with hands upon his hips; he looked down to Roxas for a long moment, until he shook his head and went back outside, and – as he collected up the glasses, bottle and coat – he kicked the conservatory doors closed behind him. He occupied himself by placing the items carefully upon the table, as Roxas sniffed and rubbed lazily at his eyes. Axel muttered:

“Only omegas produce slick, Roxas.”

“I’m not an omega,” said Roxas. “I’ve never been in heat. I don’t produce pheromones. The whole slick thing . . . well . . . it’s embarrassing, but it happens when I get – er – you know . . . aroused. It’s no big deal. I’ve learnt to deal with it.”

“It could be an inter-sex thing.” Axel ran a hand through his hair. “I know there’s an extremely small subset of omegas; they can bear children and stuff, but they aren’t like ‘full’ omega, if you get what I mean. Did – Didn’t you ever get this looked into? They usually run major tests on all this back in the States. I – I guess if you looked normal and didn’t produce pheromones, they might have assumed beta, but . . . dang . . . who _assumes_ this stuff?”

“I – I’m not an omega, Axel!” Roxas looked to him with narrowed eyes. “I – I don’t know about any tests or things, okay? I just know they test the scent glands when children are born back home, but mine . . . mine weren’t there, so I was classified as beta. If I don’t produce any scents or go into heat, I can’t be an omega, can I?”

Axel sat down opposite him. He poured a glass of wine, suddenly self-conscious about his half-nude state, and held the glass between his legs with both hands. Roxas reached out and took the coat in his grip, before he draped it over his shoulders and used it to cover his entire body out of sight. It hung over his frame to give him a shapeless form, while his swollen lips and red cheeks clashed with the dark fabric. Axel swallowed hard and asked:

“What have you got against omegas?”

“Sora is an omega,” muttered Roxas.

“Yeah? Failing to see the connection here.”

“I’ve _heard_ what you say about omegas, Axel!” Roxas clenched his hands into fists. “I hear when unclaimed omegas are blamed when alphas go into a rut. I’ve heard how people say it’s ‘best’ to marry or mate a free omega as soon as possible. I’ve seen the discrimination! I _like_ my life . . . I like being alone with alphas, without anyone calling me a ‘slut’ or worrying about my virginity, and I like no one gossiping about me because I choose to work.”

“Roxas, those -! Those things should never have been said,” said Axel in a low voice. “Alphas are jerks, Roxas. We have this thing where being ‘dominant’ makes you look ‘better’, so we _talk_ a big game when really . . . really we wouldn’t dare say those things to an omega’s face. It was wrong of me, but it doesn’t mean I think you’re less of a person!”

“I – I know that beta men don’t produce slick. I knew you’d notice as soon as you’d try to prepare me, but I didn’t . . . I didn’t want to lose you. You liked me because I was a beta, because we were _equals_ . . . now -? Now I’m just a baby-making machine.”

“Hey, just how shallow do you think I am? You’re still you!”

“I don’t even know who I am any more . . .”

Roxas threw back his head. It struck the brick of the wall behind him, while his watery eyes looked up at the glass of the conservatory ceiling, and – as he looked – there was a faint smile across his lips that made the corner of his eyes crinkle with lines. There was a faint sweet scent from him, which clearly marked a deep arousal, but Roxas hid his body from sight and continued to look at the moon above with an absent expression. He said in a whisper:

“Our parents always loved Sora more.”

There was a soft laugh from Roxas. He ran a hand over his face, before he slumped forward and took his glass from the table. He reached out – with bare arm exposed from beneath the coat – to signal for Axel to fill it to the brim, before he pulled it back to sip with a frown and eyebrows furrowed into an unreadable expression. Axel bit his lip and looked down into his glass, where he swirled the contents and watched them in their strange whirlpool of movements. He looked back to Roxas and said in a quiet voice:

“Why’d you think that?”

“It was obvious,” said Roxas. “It’s not fun _being_ an omega, but it’s a huge honour for a _family_ to have an omega as a child. Every alpha – even the beta men and women – want an omega for a spouse, so traditionally a family could gain a fortune just by giving their child away to someone rich enough to beat away all other bidders . . . I don’t know what things were like here, but back home omegas were expensive ornaments for rich folks.

“It’s a bit better now, but all an omega can do is marry and hope for the best. Riku and Sora were an arranged relationship, but it worked out well in the long run . . . they were in love. Our parents – before they passed – were pushing and pushing for them to have children, so much that I think that was the catalyst for them wanting to run away, and Riku started thinking that being an alpha or omega was basically a life-sentence in prison. They just wanted to be in love, but instead their genders determined their every choice and action.

“I escaped all of that. I always envied Sora for the attention, but I also knew I could fall in love for _love’s_ sake and wouldn’t be pressured into marriage or children. I knew a man would want me for just me, not for the children I would bear, and I knew I would be able to study and work. I jumped at the chance to move abroad, when Kairi offered me a position as her business partner. It’s all I ever wanted, to just . . . be free . . . be my own person . . .”

“Then your parents passed away,” whispered Axel.

“Yeah, then I was stuck with Sora.” Roxas shrugged. “Riku has a lot of rights as his mate, but – until Sora turns twenty or the two of them marry – I’m legally his guardian. I didn’t want that responsibility, but it allowed him to get a visa to move over here, which is what they both always wanted, so . . . I guess things worked out for the best. They’re happy.”

Roxas smiled and downed the wine. He slammed the glass down onto the table, until it gave a sharp sound that threatened to nearly break the base in two, before he gave a soft wince and looked to Axel with a half-smile and shrug of his shoulders. Axel leaned forward and placed his glass down, before he looked his friend over with a focussed gaze. He leaned on the arm of the sofa with his forearm, before he waved a hand in the air with his other hand, and – as he gesticulated – Roxas blushed and looked away from his bare body. Axel asked:

“Legally, what happens if you’re an omega?”

“I’d lose all rights to Sora,” said Roxas. “He’d be a ward of the state, but – most likely – Riku’s parents would state a claim. He’d either belong to the government or belong to Riku’s parents, until he turns twenty . . . at which point, he’ll belong solely to Riku. I’d also be an unclaimed omega; I wouldn’t be able to work or study back home, and – if I ever go back – I won’t be allowed to leave the country again, not without a mate to give permission.”

“I’m starting to see why you don’t want to be omega.” Axel ran a hand through his hair. “Okay, if you don’t want to come forward, I’ll support that. If you’ll still have me, we can always adopt in the future . . . no one has to know you’re an omega, Roxas. I’m not going to out you. I’m also not going to let you go, either. Get that memorised!”

“Well, the moment’s been officially ruined.” Roxas sighed and gave a strange smile. “I guess we could talk for a while? You’re the only person who knows about this. I could do with your opinion on a few things, if you – ah – want to talk . . . we don’t have to.”

“Hey, I can talk! I can talk your brains out! All night, if we have to!”

“Uh-huh,” said Roxas with a laugh. “Is that right?”

Axel laughed and came around the table. He threw himself down next to Roxas, before he nudged him in his side and raised his hand in defence when Roxas struck back, and – before there was time to process events – he found them in a mock play-fight. The pillow at his face was the last straw, as he laughed and pinned Roxas down by his wrists. They paused for a moment, both out of breath, until Axel saw how flushed his friend had become and let go with an awkward cough. He rubbed nervously at his neck and shrugged.

“You can always talk to me,” whispered Axel.

“So you still want to be with me?”

“Together forever!” Axel winked and waved a hand in the air. “I was more than happy to date a beta, so I’m not going to turn you down just for being omega! Let’s just talk, okay? We’ll figure something out as a couple; I’ll even make you breakfast, my treat.”

Roxas gave a sarcastic hum; he reached out for the wine bottle and poured them both a glass each, before he realised the bottle was empty and tossed it into the nearby bin. He swayed a little as he moved, while Axel – still sober and still half-nude – realised they were in a precarious predicament. Axel stood and headed towards the living room, where he would make his way into the kitchen for coffee, but paused when he heard a throat being cleared. He turned to see a blushing Roxas look at him with hands fidgeting in his lap.

“Together forever?” Roxas asked. “You promise?”

“Together forever,” promised Axel.

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

# Chapter Five

Riku watched Axel.

The older man wore a beaming smirk; it revealed little of his teeth, but it gave lines to the corners of his mouth and a flush to his cheeks, and – as he rested one hand upon his hip – he kept green eyes locked upon Riku with a striking intensity. It infuriated Riku. There was little room in the apartment to avoid Axel, especially within the kitchen that was so enclosed, and his scent . . . sharp and spicy . . . clung to the air until it overwhelmed all other scents.

Riku clenched his hands by his sides. He flared his nostrils and heaved out his chest, as he attempted to regain some sense of control over his living space, but Axel retaliated by placing two gloved hands upon his hips and lifting his head high. There was a low hum of contemporary music from the attached lounge, while Kairi sat between Roxas and Sora upon the carpeted floor, and the pile of presents centre of them – tall and precariously balanced – looked overkill when only Axel could afford to splurge. There were too many gifts.

“So,” Axel asked, “you going to tell him?”

Riku leaned back against the wall, as he smoothed out his yellow shirt. He looked over to Axel, only to see the older man now waving a hand in the air with usual melodrama, before he winked and looked expectantly to Riku with narrowed eyes. Riku tried to slow his racing heart, before the adrenaline lead to a confrontation, and instead turned his eyes to the birthday cake made by Kairi that sat upon the counter. The red icing spelled out ‘Happy 21st, Roxas’ with a professionalism that only came from a lifetime of practise. Riku said coldly:

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Oh, _please_ ,” chirped Axel. “It’s so _obvious_ that Sora is pregnant. I can smell it every time he wafts on by; it’s like warm apple pie or an actual cinnamon roll, makes my mouth water _and_ makes me just want to keep him safe out of harm’s way. It must be killing you, am I right? You must be going into regular ruts, not to mention the whole nesting thing.”

“It’s just been a few weeks,” admitted Riku. “We’re trying to hold off on nesting until we hit the two-month mark. Sora’s doctor said omega pregnancies only last six months, so we just want to hit the safety point before we emotionally invest. Keep it quiet, Axel.”

“Aw, you want me to keep a secret from my boyfriend? I can’t do _that_.”

“You’ve only been dating three weeks.”

“Ah, three beautiful weeks.”

Riku let out a hiss of breath. He looked to his friends; Roxas looked happier than ever, with a bright smile and relaxed muscles, while Kairi laughed next to him with a hand just before her mouth in a graceful gesture. Axel came across the kitchen to stand beside him. He looked sincere in his love, especially as his expression softened and he looked to Roxas with half-lidded eyes and a smile that made the corner of his eyes crinkle. Riku asked with a sigh:

“Okay, what do you want?”

They both looked to the others; Sora – with an unconscious gesture – laughed loud with a hand pressed against his lower stomach. It was the sixth time in the past hour. He had a constant blush to his cheeks, while his body seemed a little more plump around his face and torso, and the scent was enough that they were forced to come out to their professors. Sora quit university that same day, although Kairi and Roxas were unaware. Axel leaned into Riku’s space, as he whispered to him despite keeping eyes locked on Roxas.

“I keep quiet and we get the apartment to ourselves tomorrow.”

“Don’t you have a house of your own?” Riku spat.

“Hey, I’m keeping all sorts of secrets lately.” Axel rolled his eyes and folded his arms. “I’m keeping Roxas’ secret and now _your_ secret . . . if I have to remember my _reasons_ for wanting you guys out the apartment, I might just forget that it’s even a secret to keep, too.”

Riku chanced a glance to Axel, whose expression changed into something unreadable. Those green eyes still watched Roxas, with the same intensity and focus from before, but the smile faded into something not-quite-a-frown and not-quite-a-smirk. Riku furrowed his brow and looked Axel over, realising that he never changed outfits and rarely showed a serious nature, and – as he narrowed his gaze – he turned his head away with a small grunt. A part of him wondered in whom Axel confided and what friends he trusted. Riku asked in a quiet voice:

“What secret does Roxas have?”

“Hold that thought!”

There was a quick movement from Axel. He practically ran into the living room; Riku followed with slow and deliberate steps, until he came to the border between the two rooms, and saw Roxas cross-legged with the first of his presents in his lap. The majority were from Axel, wrapped with red-and-black paper and ribbons, but three were from Riku and Sora, the final and smallest one from Kairi. It was one from Axel that was about to be opened.

Axel dropped down to one knee before Roxas, before he whisked the present away from Roxas with a flourish of movement and a flush to his cheeks. The younger man pouted. He automatically reached out to take the present back, only for Axel to jump to his feet and hold the present high above his head, where – aside from Riku – the others would stand little to no chance of ever reaching to take it from his grip. Roxas stood with a pout and crossed arms, as he quirked an eyebrow and waited for his boyfriend to stop playing games.

“Can I have my present back now, Axel?”

“Actually, these two were meant to be opened later.” Axel leaned over to take another from the top of the pile. “Trust me, I’ll just go put these by the front door. You can open them at my place! You’ve a whole pile of presents anyway, it’s all good.”

“Uh-huh? Fine. You can at least tell me _why_ , Axel.”

“Okay. Okay! Come closer, alright?”

There was a long sigh from Roxas. He stepped toward Axel, while Kairi and Sora looked up with wide eyes and curiously shared glances, until Axel leaned down and whispered into Roxas’ ear with a hand raised to cover his lips. There were an ‘uh-huh’ from Roxas, followed by a ‘what’, and then his cheeks flushed red and he pulled away with an open mouth. He looked to Axel and blinked rapidly, until he closed his mouth and clenched his fists. A finger came up to point with great strength at the longer and thinner of the two gifts.

“Take _that_ one back,” ordered Roxas. “This one –? We – We need this.”

“Are you _sure_ you want to return this one? It’s –”

“Axel, I outright refuse. Return it.”

Axel huffed and walked over to the front door. He slid the two gifts into his coat pocket, as it hung over the wood from the metallic knob, and he turned with mouth open and finger raised in protest to face Roxas in a direct manner. The younger man placed his hands on his hips and raised an eyebrow, which was enough to cause Axel to close his mouth and slink back over into the kitchen, where he leaned against the wall with a petulant pout.

Riku gave a small scoff, as he shook his head. He walked towards his friends and sat on the armchair behind Sora, who leaned back between his legs and braced his arms upon Riku’s knees with a familiar intimacy, and – as Roxas took his seat back upon the floor – Riku began to massage his fiancé’s shoulders with a firm touch. Sora mewled and relaxed, bringing a smile to Riku’s face, as they watched Roxas sort through the gifts into more manageable piles. Kairi laughed at some whispered joke, as she asked him:

“Okay, so what do we open next?”

“Oh! Oh!” Sora chirped. “Open mine!”

Sora snatched a wrapped present from the smallest pile. He held it before Roxas with a bright smile and closed eyes, but – as Roxas took the present into his hands – Riku squinted his eyes in confusion. Riku was sure that the only presents were from them both, and yet he could find no memory of the flat package that flopped about with a soft interior, but soon everything became clear. Roxas unwrapped a baby-grow with a distinct design.

“Er, thanks, I guess?” Roxas said.

“Aw, that’s so cute,” said Kairi in a warm voice. “I love the Disney design! I saw a little pair of matching booties in the shop next to ours, so I can get them to complete the outfit. Still, I had no idea you guys were planning on adopting so soon. When will you get the baby? It’s so rare to see alpha-beta couples; did you guys have much trouble?”

“We – We’re not,” replied Roxas. “We’ve only been dating three weeks. We’re still getting to know one another . . . going on dates . . . we aren’t even living together.” Roxas looked to Sora and furrowed his brow. “This is cute and all, but why give it me?”

“Because you’re going to be an uncle,” chirped Sora. “Surprise!”

The silence pervaded the air. Riku held tight onto Sora’s shoulders, unable to bring himself to continue the massage, while Axel chuckled from within the kitchen and moved to lean against the counter for a better view. There was a shuffle of movement from Roxas, as he sat cross-legged directly opposite Sora and moved so their knees touched. He took his brothers hands and held them between them, bringing a confused expression from Sora.

Kairi looked to Sora’s stomach. There was a roundness to the skin, but nothing noticeable unless you knew what to examine, and Riku smiled despite the sudden secret being revealed as a surprise to their loved ones. Riku remembered mornings from the past week; he would wake to lightly stroke and kiss at his fiancé’s stomach, before dressing for university, and – as he prepared to leave – he would always see Sora smiling down and talking to the barely developed foetus. He barely noticed when Kairi spoke, too distracted by his memories.

“Is this good news?” Kairi asked.

Sora leaned his head back against the chair cushion. He looked up to Riku with bright blue eyes, as the whites of his teeth came into view, and – as he waited for some form of response – Riku bit the corner of his lip and gave a hiss of breath. There were too many thoughts racing through his head to process, but he knew that the love they both held for their unborn child was real. Riku nodded his head and smiled. Sora reacted with a soft chuckle and a cheesy grin, before he looked back to Kairi and gave a mock salute.

“The best,” chirped Sora. “We have it all planned, so don’t worry!”

“Sora, we have no _money_ ,” said Roxas.

“Nope, but we’ll be fine!” Sora shrugged. “I quit university, so I’ll be able to paint full time. I sold two pictures this week already; seven hundred for one and four hundred for the other, so it’s not all bad, right? If Riku and I put off getting married, I’ll get a government allowance each month for the baby, too. If we budget, we’ll cope just fine.”

“The baby can share our room,” added Riku. “Once I leave university and finish the process to become a solicitor, we can work on getting our own place, and – with my wages – it’ll be feasible and affordable. It’ll be a struggle until then, but we can manage.”

“The baby will share your room?” Roxas asked in a low voice. “Riku, your degree is three years in total. It’ll be between one and three years to qualify as a solicitor. That means you could have a baby in your room for _six years_! What about Sora’s education, too? I brought you guys over here so he could study and work. I don’t want my baby brother dropping out just so he can raise a child . . . he could have done that back home.”

Riku felt Sora’s shoulders slump. He worked out the few knots from his fiancé’s neck, while he looked between Roxas and Kairi, and – as time appeared to stand still – he saw the frowns upon both their expressions. Sora let his head fall, so that he stared at his now fidgeting hands. There was a loud cough from Axel. Riku watched the other alpha from the corner of his eye, as he wandered over to sit upon an armchair in the corner of the room, and his expression was somewhat unreadable. The redheaded man folded his arms.

“We’ve already made our decision,” said Riku.

There was a scoff from Axel, who swung his legs over the arm of the chair. Riku narrowed his gaze upon him, as nostrils flared and cheeks reddened, but the older man simply yawned and threw back his head to look upon the ceiling. Roxas gave a long sigh; he reached out to Sora and lifted his head, as his fingers gently raised his brother’s chin, and he gave a warm smile that caused Sora’s muscles to come to life once more. Roxas whispered:

“I’ll support you, Sora, but –”

“Hey, it’s not all bad, right?” Sora asked. “Back home, I’d have no rights. I wouldn’t be able to pick their school, or have a say in anything medical, or be able to name them . . . I’d have been totally dependent on Riku and his parents. Here -? Here I can actually have a say in their lives! I can make decisions and not have to ask _permission_ for every choice I make.”

“It’ll be tough in the short term,” admitted Riku with a nervous smile. “In the long-term, we’ll be able to raise our child together as equals. Sure, it’s not ideal, but we’ll be a family and maybe in time we can work on advocating more rights for omegas.”

“You got to start somewhere, Roxas! This is our start.”

Axel gave a scoff, but was silenced with a glare from Riku. Kairi simply laughed and moved closer to her two friends, where she held a hand from both Sora and Roxas, and – together – they sat in an amicable silence. The room was relatively warm; the oven still blared out a considerable level of heat, while a selection of foods still steamed upon the countertop, and the sweet smell of icing upon the cake wafted through the air. Riku swallowed, as he felt a stab of hunger and continued to knead Sora’s muscles. Kairi asked in a soft voice:

“Have you picked out a name yet?”

“Haru,” chirped Sora. “It’s cute, right?”

“Huh, sounds pretty weird to me,” muttered Axel. “I got to ask: what’s it mean? I’ve seen how your symbols each have their meanings and stuff . . . ‘Sora’ is ‘sky’, right? Does the kid’s name have a meaning, too, or do you just like how it sounds?”

“It means ‘spring’,” said Riku. “‘Haru’ is ‘spring’.”

“Huh, spring and sky . . . still weird.”

Roxas chuckled and reached out to take Sora’s hand. He squeezed it with a warm smile, as his eyes fell to the small swell of the stomach, and his eyes began to water. The anxiety and doubt still seeped onto his expression, enough that those teeth dug into his lip and his nostrils flared, and yet he looked his brother in the eyes and gave a nod of acknowledgement.

“I love it,” said Roxas. “Haru.”

 


	6. Chapter 6

# Chapter Six

“Not long now, eh?”

Axel gave a wide smile. He placed his hands upon his hips, as he leaned closer to Sora. The younger man sat upon a stool beside the counter, where he cradled his hands around his expanded stomach, and – as he looked up to Axel – he gave a soft pout. Those lips came outward, as his blue eyes narrowed in a childlike manner, before he huffed and snapped his head to the side with unshed tears. Axel pulled back and blinked in rapid succession.

He looked around the flower shop; Kairi stood behind the counter, as she counted the profit for the day and prepared to take it to the bank, and Roxas leaned upon the countertop beside her with the delivery book before him. The blonde man made rapid notes and copied over various orders from small post-its into the book, while Kairi occasionally asked him a question or said aloud a seemingly random number. There was no sign of any red upon the pages. In their new location, they seemed to have no problem with finances.

Neither of them paid Sora any mind. Axel took a step back, where he leaned against a display of greetings cards, and – as the film over various cards crinkled with the pressure of his body – he saw that Sora had begun to sniff and rub at his eyes. He felt his heart begin to race, as he glanced over to the office doors and saw Riku appear with a roll of his eyes. Riku moved straight to Sora and began to knead at the muscles of his back, as he stood behind him.

“Something I said?” Axel asked.

Riku smiled and shook his head. The long locks of hair fell about his face and covered his eyes, while his tall build dominated Sora and seemed to envelop him, and – were Axel an omega – he could certainly see the appeal of someone made of muscles. There was a shadow about Riku from the bright lights, which were far brighter on the new premises, and they almost made the night feel like day, even with the shutters down upon the windows and doors. Riku looked to Axel and nodded in acknowledgement of him.

“He’s a week late,” said Riku.

“The baby is never going to come out,” muttered Sora.

“The doctor says our son is the healthiest he’s ever seen.” Riku smiled and pressed a kiss to the head of his fiancé. “I keep teasing Sora that he’s just made it too comfortable for Haru. It’s okay, though, as they can induce next week. We have the nursery all set up, so it’s just a matter of being patient. I know that’s tough for someone like Sora –”

“Hey!” Sora called out. “I can be patient when I want.”

“Well, that’s news to me.”

Sora huffed again, as he leaned back against Riku. Two muscular arms wrapped around him, so that they draped across his upper chest like a necklace, and Sora – as he rested his head upon Riku’s torso – reached up to hold onto his forearms with a soft sigh. Axel smiled; he folded his arms and looked between the two men and Roxas, who occasionally glanced up with a smile in turn, and the warmth between them felt natural. There was a soft sound of classical music playing over the shop stereo system, which added to the atmosphere.

“You guys going to be okay alone with a baby?” Axel asked.

He looked behind Kairi and Roxas. There was an array of framed photographs behind the counter, which lined the wall in a professional pattern, and one of which featured their group in the new apartment just above the new shop. The apartment was pretty large; the three bedrooms had accommodated all adults, until Roxas’ moved out and sacrificed his room for the nursery, and the three adults seemed happy in their new space.

The photo spoke volumes of their lives; Kairi stood to the left of Sora, with Riku on his right, and the three were in the midst of a group hug. There was a painting of Sora’s hung above the fireplace, where it took pride of place and the centre of focus, and Kairi’s violin could be seen just off to the corner of the room almost like a decorative piece, while Riku’s law books lined the walls in an impressive display. Axel looked down to see a photograph just below of Roxas with moving boxes in his hands, just before Axel’s – no, _their_ – front door.

“We’ll be fine,” chirped Sora. “We have Kairi!”

“Kairi has to work,” said Kairi with a laugh. “I don’t mind helping out, but I think it’s the uncle’s job to baby-sit and buy lots of presents and change the baby. It’s my job to bake cakes for the parent-to-be and rock the baby to sleep and go ‘aw’ over him!”

“I think you over-estimate an uncle’s responsibilities,” teased Roxas, as he closed the various books and stored them away. “Axel and I will be happy to baby-sit any time, though, and – if you guys need me for anything – I’ll even come back home for a few weeks. I don’t mind crashing on the sofa to help out my brother while you and Riku are out.”

“Plus, it’ll be good practise for when you guys adopt!”

“That’s a while away yet,” murmured Roxas.

Roxas blushed and moved away from the counter. Kairi laughed from behind her hand, as she finished bagging the money and set it to the side of the register. The form for the bank was already filled, just underneath the bags of money, and – as she placed them within her handbag – she locked the register and prepared to head out for the daily bank-trip. Axel yawned and ran a gloved hand over his face, while the two owners fussed back and forth with various odd jobs. Sora gave a long hum from the corner, as he furrowed his brow and asked:

“Couldn’t you guys conceive naturally?”

Roxas tripped over his feet, where he struggled to grab the counter for balance. Kairi gave a puzzled expression and stood open-mouthed, with bag slung over her shoulder and coat wrapped around her body, and Axel – as he blinked and scratched at his temple – looked to Sora with a raised eyebrow and pursed lips. The younger man sat with his hands rubbing circles upon his stomach, while Riku stood behind him with a smirk.

“Sora, only omegas can do that,” said Roxas.

“Yeah, but aren’t you an omega?”

The sudden silence left Axel on edge. He looked up to see Riku with a smirk, whose blue eyes were narrowed in an all-knowing gaze, and – as Axel gritted his teeth and fisted his hands – Riku simply chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. The scent of alpha pheromones clouded the air, both beginning to increase with the unspoken hostility and desire to mark their respective territories, and Axel felt his nostrils flare and heartbeat increase.

He barely noticed as Kairi headed out of the door, half-closing the shutter as she went, but he certainly noticed Roxas by his side. Roxas touched upon his arm. The tension began to decrease, as Axel felt his scent dampen and caught that Riku’s lessened in turn, and – as Riku held tighter to Sora, arms around his neck and shoulders – Roxas took Axel’s hand and squeezed it in reassurance. Axel drew in a deep breath and let his muscles relax, while Roxas gave a small hum of reassurance and looked to his brother with concern. Roxas asked:

“How did you -?”

“We figured it out when you guys started dating,” said Riku. “Omegas produce a pretty strong scent when they – ah . . . produce slick. Sora caught the scent a few times; I only caught it when you went to wash the sheets one day, as it kind of lingers and soaks in with a pretty strong persistence. If it weren’t for Axel, we might never have guessed.”

“Don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone,” chirped Sora. “Riku explained that it could cause legal trouble and invalidate your visa, but – well – Riku can get a work visa after university and you could always get a spousal visa, right? So – if you wanted to come out –”

“Thanks, but I’m really not too sure.” Roxas ran a hand over his face. He said in a soft voice: “I think I’d still want to adopt, but . . . well . . . I’m not sure I’ll ever be ready to come out. I’m honestly surprised you guys are so cool about things; I know you’ve always been pretty open about wanting equal rights, but this is just so different. I’m an _omega_. There’s still so many stereotypes and prejudices, even here, and even Axel still slips up . . .”

Axel flinched and looked to Roxas. There was no judgement upon his face; Axel caught a hint of sadness, as the corner of his mouth pulled into a half-smile, and those bright eyes gazed at a far corner of the shop with an unfocussed stare. He squeezed his lover’s hand and smiled when Roxas looked back at him, but Sora and Riku were harder to convince of his sincerity. Sora rubbed circles at his stomach, while he looked to Roxas with pursed lips and a concerned expression, and Riku breathed heavily through flared nostrils.

“Huh,” said Sora. “So what’ve you said to my brother?”

Axel rolled his eyes, as he waved his free hand in the air. The scent of the flowers did little to dissipate the heavy pheromones from the two alpha men, which tempted Axel into investing in an air purifier for the shop, and – as he tried to fight off the growing aggression – he looked to Sora and saw how he gnawed his lip and focussed his eyes upon Axel. There was a sweet scent from the pregnancy, which relaxed Axel enough to ask:

“Hey, do you think I’d ever say anything bad?”

“Yes,” said Riku. “ _I_ do.”

“Any time, any place.” Axel waved a hand in the air and leaned forward. “Look, I have _never_ purposely tried to make Roxas feel bad, okay? I’ve even tried changing how I think and feel about omegas! It’s just difficult to change a lifetime of bad habits. I know it’s the holidays now, but right up until the last day of term -? Ugh. I had omegas asking time off for heats, but it’s like those only happen every six months or something, right?

“You keep seeing omegas trying to use their condition to get special privileges, which is totally infuriating! See, that’s what’s hard to shake. I know it’s not _all_ omegas, or maybe there’s something there that I’m missing, like how sometimes one omega’s heat triggers another omega’s heat, but – ugh – it’s still so much _paperwork_.”

“He really is trying his best,” said Roxas with a smile. “It doesn’t mean I go easy on him, though. I joined his martial arts class just the other month, too; he’s not won a single match against me, and – no – he’s not going easy on me either. As far as I’m concerned, an omega can do everything an alpha can, and I’m definitely not going to quit until that’s drilled into Axel’s head. To be honest, he hasn’t treated me any differently. It’s nice . . . it makes me forget that I _am_ an omega. Nothing’s changed.”

Sora smiled and stretched out. He knocked Riku back a step with the sudden movement, but – far too used to Sora’s spontaneous and random actions – he simply shook his head and came around to tidy the shop for want of an action. Every flower that was touched only added to the mass of aromas, and it made it clear why flowers were such a beta preference. Axel cricked his neck and scratched at the back of his head, when Sora asked with a perky voice:

“So why don’t you want to come out?”

There followed a moment of silence, until Roxas let go of Axel’s hand. He – like Riku – began to help in tidying the shop floor, where he busied himself by turning off lights and turning on the alarms to the backrooms, and the silence soon became awkward. Sora frowned, unused to being ignored, until Roxas appeared to come to a stop by the front door. He clutched the keys in his hands, while Riku came back around to help Sora stand and soon Axel followed with a roll of his eyes, as the congregated by the door.

“I like my freedom, Sora,” admitted Roxas.

“Hey, I’m free, aren’t I?”

“Only because Riku and I _allow_ it,” muttered Roxas. “It’s good in this country, but it’s not perfect. I’ll have people judging me for being alone with alphas, because I’m not mated and I don’t have plans to mate, and it’ll make work ten times more difficult. A lot of people won’t want to do business with an omega, so Kairi’s workload will be doubled.”

“Not to mention,” added Riku, “he’d never be able to visit back home. They won’t let him return here without a mate and/or spouse, Sora. We can fight for omega rights here; over time we’ll reach a point where there’s no shame or stigma in being omega, I promise.”

“Riku’s right. Look at how much things have progressed.”

“I suppose,” mumbled Sora. “I just – _oh_. . .”

There was a sound of water. Axel looked down to see a puddle – tinged red – upon the tiled floor of the new shop, which was both sweet in smell and tinted with something metallic, and he noticed that the water ran down Sora’s leg and stained his shorts. He took a step back, while Roxas swore and opened the door and heaved open the shutter. The blast of cold air chilled him to the bone, as the wind blew in from outside, and he rubbed at his arms in an attempt to get some warmth from the friction. He looked on at Sora with a frown.

“The baby’s coming?” Axel asked.

Sora looked pale, but laughed with hands on his stomach. Riku ushered him out of the door; the delivery van set in the designated parking space just outside the front door, where Riku waited less than patiently for Roxas to finish locking up. Axel stood outside with a hand buried in his hair, while his heart raced and his teeth dug into his lip, but Sora simply continued to rub at his stomach with a gentle touch and a loving expression, as he whispered:

“The baby’s coming.”

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

# Epilogue

Riku smiled down.

The boy looked beautiful; there was a mop of brown hair, exactly the same tone as Sora, and two blue eyes that matched Riku down to the very shade. He was still pale, taking after Riku in colouring, and yet his facial shape was the same round and chubby shape as Sora, so that – when Haru was older – they would be almost identical to one another. The yellow suit looked good on his son, complete with matching booties and a small hat.

They sat in a cushioned chair beside Sora. The omega man had slept since the birth, unable to find any strength to so much as open his eyes, and – in the ward with three women and one other omega man – he somehow seemed the most fragile patient. He never woke, even when one of the babies would cry and jerk Riku from his sleep, and yet a fluttering of eyelids and a groan from Sora would follow any time Haru stirred or yawned. It was as if he stirred along with his son, responding instinctively to his voice alone. Riku smiled. A voice asked:

“Hey, you guys up for visitors?”

Riku blinked away his exhaustion and looked to the clock. It stood above the main doors, which overlooked the nurse’s station, and – past the eight beds and eight cots – he saw that it was still early and not long into visiting hours. The ward was dark, without windows and only soft artificial lighting, and he noticed that many of the other new parents were still asleep, most of their partners and family still absent. It would be busy soon, but Riku had expected a little longer with just his mate and his child. He shrugged and said:

“Depends. Who’s asking?”

“Us, _duh_.”

Two figures appeared at the foot of Sora’s bed. Riku looked to them in surprise, as he wondered how he missed them when they stood so close. Axel looked ever the same, with red hair carefully sculpted into spikes, while Roxas looked more dishevelled, as his face paled and his eyes exposed dark bags, and – as Riku smiled on sight of them – he realised it was likely a sleepless night for the worrying brother. He knew the two of them refused to leave the hospital, but a night of coffee in the café seemed to hit Roxas harder than Axel.

Roxas came around and took Haru from Riku’s arms. The baby stirred, causing Sora to roll over in his sleep and mumble something incoherent, and Roxas – with a grin that exposed white teeth and brought crinkles to his eyes – sat upon the edge of the bed with a chuckle. Riku leaned back and let his head fall upon the back of the chair, so that he stared up at the foam ceiling tiles that were stained in places with an obvious leak.

“Did you guys stay awake all night?” Riku asked.

“Well, _I_ did,” chirped Axel from the head of the bed. “Once you text to say Sora and Haru were safe, _this_ one fell fast asleep on the table. I thought _maybe_ I should take him home, but . . . well . . . visiting hours weren’t long off, so we waited, you know? I got to say. This place looks like an absolute dump. Couldn’t you afford anywhere better?”

“Actually, it’s free here,” replied Riku. “I’m not going to complain, either. Sora received the best treatment we could have hoped for: the nurses have been really attentive and kind, the equipment is all state-of-the-art, and there’s a lot of luxuries you don’t really notice until you’ve actually been a patient here. Sora is going to love the TV and Internet access when he wakes up. There’ll be photos all over social media.”

“Hey, I’m not saying you got a bad deal, just that a lick of paint and a few more windows would really perk this place up! I mean – hell – we _brought_ flowers, but they wouldn’t even let us bring them in to you! Even _prisoners_ get flowers . . .”

“You worry too much, Axel,” chirped Roxas. “What’s important is Haru.”

“Yeah, who looks just like any other brat.”

Axel hunched forward, as a hand scratched at his head. There was a pout to his lips, while his green eyes were half-lidded with a curious expression, and – as he looked between the three men – he dropped his hands by his side with a sigh. The alpha pheromones were barely noticeable, too subtle and positively overwhelmed by the heavy omega scents in the air, and he occasionally gnawed at his lip and looked in odd directions.

Riku almost felt sorry for him. There was no denying that omegas put out a heavy scent after birth, one that erased all that came into contact with it, and with two omega men – and one omega woman – the scent cloyed in the air with an intensity none could match. This was an omega space. It wasn’t helped by the sterile smells of disinfectants and various air fresheners, all spread about by the various air conditioners, and it was enough to give Riku a strong headache. Roxas looked in his element, free from all fears and anxieties.

There was a sound of a trolley rattling in one of the adjacent wards; the smell was too overwhelmed to identify the contents, but – judging by the time – Riku suspected that breakfast was on its way for the various new and expectant parents. Roxas made soft noises as he bounced the baby, cooing in a way that was all too natural, while he raised a hand to stroke at its cheek with a gentle touch. He finally found colour to his cheeks. Axel muttered:

“Shouldn’t that thing be in the nursery, anyway?”

“Hey, ‘ _that thing_ ’ is my nephew,” spat Roxas in a cold voice. “I don’t think they have nurseries here, anyway. The whole point is to bond with the baby. You can’t bond with a baby, if it’s in a whole other room. Actually, that reminds me -! Did they tell you what his full gender will be, Riku? They’ve done the tests, right?”

“Hmm? Oh, yeah.” Riku cricked his neck. “Alpha.”

“Alpha, huh? He’s lucky.”

Riku stood and ran a hand through long hair. He gestured Roxas to the chair, where he moved with ease and sat with the baby in his arms, and – as he sang low to the child – Sora smiled in his sleep and squirmed closer to the edge of the bed. The chair was moved closer in turn, so Roxas could lean his elbow upon the bed and Sora could touch at the skin with curled fingers. It was a beautiful sight. Riku walked around to Axel and nudged him; the redheaded man raised an eyebrow and rested a hand on his hip, as his nostrils flared and he stood straight.

“You’re not good with kids,” observed Riku.

“They tell me it’ll be different when it’s mine,” muttered Axel. “When Isa and I . . . when _Saix_ and I used to date, they kept telling us that I’d feel differently when we started the adoption process, you know? I mean it’s not that I _don’t_ want kids . . . I look to Roxas and – for the first time – I see a real family. I guess I just see the ideal, not the reality.”

“Yeah, it’s always great on television.” Riku sighed and stretched. “The baby just lies there and makes cute noises, while the bearer cleans up and occasionally frets over them. No one warns you they poop every hour, or cry when you put them down, or – well – smell so bad.”

“Tell me about it! I could smell this ward from halfway down the corridor. No wonder the maternity department gets an entire building to itself! Plus, everyone is so cheerful all the time, like they expect you to be super happy just because your pal’s popped a parasite out his poop-hole . . . no wonder so many parents get all depressed. I’d be depressed, too, if people kept telling me to be happy! Still, an alpha, huh? Guess you must be proud.”

Riku let his smile falter. The long locks fell about his eyes, obscuring his vision, while his muscled arms came to cross his chest. He listened as the omega woman’s husband bustled toward her, with arms filled with presents, while the nurses chatted as they changed shifts, and – with the clatter of dishes from the trolley nearby – the entire ward filled with a sense of life and passion. Riku let his eyes fall upon Sora, before he looked to Roxas and his son. The small baby looked completely at peace, unaware of the stigmas that surrounded him.

“Honestly,” admitted Riku, “I’d have preferred a beta.”

There was a loud laugh from Axel. Sora curled up in his bed, underneath rough blankets and thin sheets, and – as he mumbled to himself – eyes flickered open and then closed. Axel closed his mouth with a smirk, as his chest heaved with an attempt to hold back the laughter, and he waved a hand in the air and quirked his body off to the side. He looked to Riku with a side-glance, as he chirped in an all-too-high voice:

“Ooh, how _interesting_.”

“I don’t know what things are like in the States,” said Riku with a shrug. “I just know there was a lot of pressure back home; alpha men and women would put insane hours at work, would leave nearly everything to do with childcare to the beta or omega, and would be expected to be perfect at all times. It was such a huge pressure.”

“Yeah, I heard about the suicide rates and stuff.” Axel leaned back on the bed with both hands. “I guess that’s what outdated gender stereotypes does to a nation. In the States, it wasn’t perfect, but – so long as an omega took suppressants – they could get to the top.”

“Huh, sounds like a whole other form of oppression.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Riku gave a long exhale of breath through his nose. He remembered the nurse offering Sora suppressants after the birth, specifying how they would prevent further pregnancies in the near future, and – conveniently – downplaying the long-term effects. Sora looked so peaceful, instinctively reaching for his son and smiling upon every sound, and the idea of forcing him into a beta or alpha role felt barbaric. The suppressants sought to change his nature, while his nature was exactly what made him such a good and pure individual.

“In my country, omegas have to be ‘omegas’,” said Riku. “In your country, you basically expect omegas to emulate ‘alphas’. No one lets an alpha _or_ an omega just . . . be themselves . . . it’s always with expectations and prejudices, just because of how you’re born. It’s not perfect here, either, which is why I’d want a beta son or daughter, but I guess this is just more incentive to work for a better system . . . a better world. Right?”

“You ask me, the kid’s already got the perfect world.” Axel looked away with a strange smile. “I know we got off on the wrong foot and all, not to mention when I nearly lost Roxas, but I’ve always envied you guys. You’re good people. If it weren’t for you, I probably wouldn’t have realised what it means to have friends. Your kid’s lucky.”

“He will be, once we create a world in which being an alpha doesn’t matter. Look, I have to say that I really appreciate the person you’ve become . . . Roxas is lucky to have you, so – whether you have a family or not – just know Sora and I _are_ your family now.”

“Aw, shucks, you’re going to make me blush,” teased Axel.

“And now the moment’s ruined.”

They looked to one another with sincere smiles. Axel slapped at his legs and stood up, where he took to walking about the ward and trying to find something to occupy his time. There was little to do without leaving the ward entirely, especially now more family members and partners came to see the young babies and bearers, but Axel soon found himself a space at the nurses’ station. He chatted to a young beta woman, as he leaned against the desk.

Riku watched him, until Sora yawned and sat upright. The young man – with hair mussed and dressed only in a creased gown – looked around with unfocussed eyes, with a hint of sleep in the corner and large bags underneath. He looked to Roxas and Haru, where his eyes widened and he gave a childlike laugh, and he reached out to his son with spread fingers and open arms. Roxas frowned, reluctant to give up his nephew, but soon smiled and slid the baby into the arms of its bearer. Sora’s reaction was instantaneous: he cried with relief.

It was a beautiful sight. Riku came around and sat next to him upon the bed, while Roxas adjusted the bed into an upright position and placed the pillows carefully behind Sora’s back, and – with an arm draped over his lover – Riku nuzzled into his neck. They would need to call a nurse over to check Sora over, as Riku promised he would do the second his mate awoke, but he basked in the moment while it lasted. It was just too perfect.

“What’d I miss?” Sora asked.

Riku placed a chaste kiss to his cheek, as he began to cry in turn. The sleepless night – as well as the sight of his newborn son and mate – was overwhelming in the extreme. He wrapped his free arm around the two of them, rested his hand underneath Sora’s that supported their son’s head, and whispered kind words under his breath. Roxas sat upon Sora’s other side, as he leaned his head against his brother’s shoulder and reached over to coo at the young baby. Sora laughed again, sat between his two favourite people.

“Guess I should sleep more often,” teased Sora.

Riku laughed through the tears.


End file.
